What to eat at the world’s best food markets

Despite the increasing presence
of supermarket chains on our streets, the humble old market is still going
strong. Local shoppers visit regularly to pick up
superior produce with a
traceable lineage, while food-loving punters come from near and far to wait in
line for whatever fabled foodstuff has most recently set Twitter alight. Food
is just one part of a market's appeal, though. These places, often animated and
occasionally scruffy though they are, serve up a slice of real life.

In the world’s most
gastronomically inclined cities, the big-name markets are particularly tempting
– and particularly labyrinthine. The level of choice can be baffling. So before
you become bewildered by Borough or baffled by La Boqueria, check out our guide
of what to eat and where.

Borough, London

The Borough Market is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London. (Photo: AC Manley/Shutterstock)

Borough market is London’s
biggest and best food market. But with the ceaseless crowds it attracts, it’s easy to overlook the top traders. From Brindisa’s beloved chorizo and
rocket roll to Roast to Go’s roast pork and
crackling sandwich –
which gets the stamp of approval from superstar chef
April Bloomfield – the cooked-to-order
food gets lots of press, but the fresh produce here is not to be missed.

“... The true greats and the true heart of
the market are the stalls focusing on particular and very special
British products," said Sean Cannon, whose
Cannon and Cannon charcuterie business regularly trades at Borough.

Among the standouts of those products are the Gorwydd Caerphilly stall, considered a towering champion of British cheeses. "To those who
have not had the pleasure, this cheese is a world champion, and it is the only
product available on the stall," Cannon said. "It has a creamy and undeniable 'tang.'"

Smorgasburg, Brooklyn

Smorgasburg is a spring and summer outdoor mecca for foodies in Brooklyn. (Photo: Allen G./Shutterstock)

Street food is an overused
culinary descriptor. But here in the relaxed and informal setting of this Brooklyn-based
outdoor market, street food not only fits the street food criteria – that is compact,
quick to prepare and fit for immediate consumption – but it’s also delicious.

Caroline Mak of Brooklyn Soda Works, who sells a seasonal selection of fresh soda
and sparkling juices on tap at Smorgasburg, recommended the lumpias (Filipino
spring rolls) of Lumpia Shack. “They're super inventive and the ingredients are
always top-notch – high-quality meats and fresh ingredients. Plus their sample
plate is great for sharing, which is what Smorgasburg is great for –
bringing friends and family to the market, and everyone gets a plate to share.”

Mak's favorite for the first meal of the day is Hash Bar. “They are run by the fantastic acclaimed restaurant, Egg, which as
you can tell from their name, are focused on breakfast and brunch foods. Farm
fresh eggs with your choice of meat on a potato hash ... yum!”

Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem

With a profusion of tantalizing smells and a cacophony of sounds, a trip to Jerusalem’s prized market – known locally as the shuk – is never dull. Once a tumbledown bazaar selling the best of Israeli produce, it has been spruced up of late. Now, trendy craft beer bars and internationally skewed establishments (think fish and chips, veggie Indian cuisine and espresso bars) have joined the coterie of produce traders, and its international profile is rising.

Among the selection of places to eat in and around the market, superstar Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi singled out Rachmo for its soulful home-style cooking, describing it to the New York Times as being “simply a worker’s eatery – as simple as it gets – but it’s buzzing with people eating in or taking the food to go.” Ottolenghi also sang the praises of the market, telling Food & Wine magazine that it is “A rowdy, modern restaurant that typifies everything that’s delicious and original in the current food scene. There’s some groundbreaking dishes, such as hamshuka – a deconstructed kebab – and tons of energy.”

La Boqueria, Barcelona

Tourists at the famous La Boqueria market in Barcelona, one of the oldest markets in Europe that's still in operation. (Photo: Tupungato/Shutterstock)

If you enjoy eating at all, there
will be something to please you here in the busy belly of Barcelona. With its
heaped mounds of fresh fruit, rows of hanging jamón ibérico and endless supply of produce, this market has proved such a draw for out-of-towners that big tourist groups are
reportedly banned so locals can take care of their shopping.

Counter cafes and
tapas bars serve the freshest of fare, and two names tend to crop up in blogs
and online reviews again and again: Bar Pinotxo and El Quim de la Boqueria. The
chef behind the latter, Márquez Durán Quim, sums up the enduring appeal of food markets, saying, “When I travel abroad, I always go to the
markets of the different places because it is there, in the markets, where you
really find the essence of the culture of each country."

Among the dishes
at El Quim that have food bloggers raving are the BocaQuim sandwich (pork loin, asparagus, onion confit, Modena reduction and fried egg) and the mushrooms in port wine. With limited bar stools
and plenty of hungry souls wandering around, you’ll have to hover around El
Quim and wait for a space to open up.

Pike Place Market, Seattle

A highlight at Pike Place Market is when vendors toss fish as tourists take photos. (Photo: f11photo/Shutterstock)

As emblematic of Seattle as the Empire State Building is of New York or black cabs are of London, this boisterous market is one of the city’s top tourist draws. But no amount of tourist hype can diminish its status as the city’s premier culinary destination. Out-of-towners go for the spectacle of the fish market, where burly overall-clad mongers fling around their fish, but there are also plenty more old-fashioned artisans here too, as well as low-key traders quietly testing out delicious new concepts.

Erin Andrews of indi chocolate, which trades in the market, named Uli’s Sausage as one of her current personal favorites, but suggests visitors go there with an open mind. “The market is much bigger than you would think, and the best way to explore is to get lost. Come visit us in the Down Under section and you’ll be surprised at all the market has to offer.”